RICK SMITH: Teacher taught more than math

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Wednesday I asked readers to send in their stories about the Roosevelt Hotel, but I never guessed someone's story would include a true San Angelo legend.

"My favorite memory of the Roosevelt Hotel involves another night clerk, Keene C. Van Orden," wrote Buddy Peel, a member of San Angelo Central's Class of 1958,

"Mr. Van Orden was a great math teacher at San Angelo High School," he wrote, explaining San Angelo High School was located on North Oakes Street across the street from what is now the Central Freshman Campus.

"Mr. Van Orden started a ‘no charge' voluntary class to help prepare us for college. We met at 7 o'clock in the morning in the choir room upstairs in what was then called the Annex.

"Every night after supper we would go down to the Roosevelt and Mr. Van Orden would work with us on the assignment he had given us at 7 o'clock that morning. Having to night clerk at the Roosevelt pretty well shows that he was obviously underpaid then just as the teachers are today."

Buddy said he and many others always will remember their teacher for his dedication to the job and willingness to help students.

The math teacher continued tutoring students after his retirement in 1970 and never stopped until shortly before his death in 1985 at age 84.

Jim Kerbow also remembers those sessions at the Roosevelt. "Those of us that needed help, or wanted to ‘get a leg up' on college would go down to the Roosevelt at night and Mr. Van Orden would tutor us," Jim said. "He also did an early morning class before school for us athletes for some extra credit toward college."

"Looking back, I'd have to say Mr. Van Orden was the most dedicated teacher that I ever had."

The teacher's dedication didn't go unnoticed.

During his career, Mr. Van Orden must have received every honor and award a high school teacher could earn, including the Texas Teacher of the Year award in 1964.

He was humble about his statewide award.

"To teach in the San Angelo school system has been an honor for me," he told a reporter.

He said he owed his award to the "students I have had, the teachers I could associate with and the support and understanding given me by the school administration and school board."

A math teacher and coordinator of mathematics for the San Angelo school system, Mr. Van Orden and his wife, Geneva, an English teacher, worked at Central High School from when the new facility opened in the late 1950s until their retirements in 1970.

After Mr. Van Orden's death May 27, 1985, Central High School Principal Skip Casey wrote that the longtime teacher was "involved in education every day he was in San Angelo."

In a letter to the editor, Charles and Margaret Bryce wrote, "Keene and Geneva Van Orden shared their tremendous knowledge in a pleasant, loving manner to our most precious commodity, our children."

But the best eulogy, according to legend, is something an anonymous student said of his teacher: "Mr. Van Orden? Everyone just loves him. Why, he can even make math interesting."

Here are just a few of the master teacher's lessons on teaching:

A teacher is someone who not only teaches subject matter but also can "help each student be a thinker and a loyal citizen with a keen interest in music, literature, drama, art and sports."

Being a teacher gives a new challenge to everyday life and is "an exciting, thrilling — and most of the time — satisfying experience."

"I realize that what and how I teach can affect the success or failure of any of my students."

A teacher "can never allow himself to get into a rut. He must be constantly learning and discovering and he must keep abreast of new developments in his field."

"We must teach our young people to think. This, after all, is the most important thing."

"The value of math to most students is that it makes them think."

"This thinking business has been more or less neglected. I think we want to make our courses here as rough as we can to get our students ready for college."

A teacher "should represent security in the sense that his reaction to right or wrong can be predicted. The students should be just as sure that good work will receive commendations as they are that poor work will be criticized."

"I am proud to be a teacher."

Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs columnist. Contact Rick at rsmith@gosanangelo.com or 659-8248.